Leek Disaster

[Garvey]

My leeks have failed again. This has happened two years in a row. Before then they were large, healthy and show quality. This year everything was fine until the end of August when the leaves started to turn yellow/white and go limp. When I returned from holiday at the end of September this had happened - see picture. Any ideas on what the problem could be?

[Thelma Sanders]

Looks like either Leek moth or Allium leaf miner.

Leek moth / Royal Horticultural Society

[Martin H]

Maybe it's white rot. What are the roots like?

[hawthorns]

If its leek moth then cover them from seedlings to harvest with fine enviromesh and you will have undamaged leeks. I have this problem which is now sorted with covering them

[roitelet]

I would have thought rot of some sort.

[Garvey]

Roots look O.K. bit I think the plant has stopped growing - very small.

[WendyC]

Looks like allium leaf miner. You can cut your leeks down and they will regrow. Did this last year when a few of mine were attacked. Look deep inside the centre of the leeks, are there any grubs?

[Thelma Sanders]

One of the allium pests anyway - you can see where the foliage has been munched, and allowed the tops to rot off. I've had it here for the last 2 years

[Garvey]

If its Allium Leaf Miner, I guess the only way to healthy leeks next year is to cover them with net or fleece?

[rustylady]

Cut them down to ground level Garvey, and cover with fleece or enviromesh. The roots should carry on growing and produce new foliage.

[binley100]

Leaf miner is usually active twice a year. Mar/april and Oct/nov... I've had trouble with it and now cover my leeks, the grubs leave a pinky coloured furrow down the main body of the leek and the grubs are like an orangy coloured grain of rice ...

[roitelet]

Having seen the second photo I revise what I said. Yes, cut them down and most of them will regrow. I cut off the foliage of mine three times as they grow.

[Two_Sheds]

Roots look O.K.

Look inside the leaves of your plants, and I'm sure you'll find a little maggot. You now need to grow your leeks under mesh, like a lot of us do now.

Ours were attacked this year before we meshed them: we cut the plants down to the soil surface, leaving the roots in place, and they've grown back into 6" tall leeks and still growing